Divinity Tour of France: Paris, Lisieux, and Lourdes

Our travel consultant planned a perfect trip for us during a very difficult travel time. Our travel specialists' communication with us was excellent. He exceeded our expectations by making dinner reservations and helping us with our required return COVID test. We asked for specific types of inns and tours and he delivered. The tours that he set up for us were top-notch. The Toyota Corolla station wagon worked perfectly for us. 

Our first stop was in Eygalieres, France. We loved the small inn where we stayed which was a short walk to the very quaint village. The food at this inn was truly memorable. We used this as a base for touring Les Baux, Saint Remy, Arles, the Carmargue, Pont du Gard, Uzes, and the wineries along the Rhone. We had private tours set up for some of this and she was extremely professional and had a very comfortable VW van. She was also our guide for the wine tasting and she was so knowledgeable and flexible with the itinerary. We were blown away by the rocky soil where the Grenache and Syrah vines grow. Some of the rocks are the size of rip-rap. Our guide even made recommendations on the best order for visiting the Luberon villages. Our travel planner provided tickets to Carrieres de Lumieres which hadn't impressed us when we read about it. We are so glad we went because we thought it was amazing. No words can describe the experience of being IN these paintings. It also didn't hurt that the venue was cool on a 96F degree day.

Next we went to the La Ferma near Gordes in the Luberon. It was a perfect spot for visiting those idyllic medieval villages. The La Ferma is such a comfortable, quiet, and relaxing spot. We never would have found this place without our travel specialists' help. In fact, we barely found it with GPS. The food here was amazing and the service was impeccable. They also had very good wines. We left our afternoons open for time at the beautiful pool. 

Our final stop was in Gemenos at the La Magdeleine where we loved the food and service. We traveled to Marseille for a boat trip to the Calanques. Our captain is what made that trip memorable. The 4-hour boat trip with 3 swimming stops is a great trip for families or young people. We were worn out, but we loved it and will never forget it. If you are near Cassis, you have to drive Route des Cretes to La Ciotat. The scenery over the Mediterranean was unforgettable and La Ciotat is a lovely seaside town.

It was a well-planned and organized trip that met my needs as I specified. The short, unrequested excursions turned out to be delightful additions that provided an overview of the cultural heritage of the areas visited. Strolls through the historic center of Cahors, with its Medieval cathedral (with curious gargoyles), water clock, and devil’s bridge, were particularly impressive.

The highlight for me was the visit to nine decorated Paleolithic caves/rock shelters, only one of which, Lascaux, was a reconstruction. Two were not on my request list but I was very happy to visit them. My driver/guide was extremely knowledgeable, not only about the towns and cultures but also the caves. My guide was patient with my mobility issues enabling me to visit these sites which could otherwise have been challenging for me.

I had not realized the vast richness of the Les Eyzies valley for caves and rock shelters in the Paleolithic era. These occurred in an extended area all along the river wherever the cliffs meet the river. There were more than the ones I had read about, leaving the tantalizing prospect of many more Paleolithic sites to visit, someday.

I was happy having the bit of time at the beginning and the end of the trip to explore my arrival/departure city on my own. Of course there was time to visit only one of cathedrals and to find a place for a sunset panorama, but it gave me a sense of venturing forth in my new environment. The choice of hotels was excellent.

The only disappointment was that the cave I wanted to visit above all others could not be put last, rather than first, on the schedule. I could not do that cave first with any hope that my knee would survive the rest of the trip. If done at the end, it would not have mattered if I had to ‘limp’ home. The reasoning for its placement first was not clearly explained until after the trip. Other than this, it was a successful and very rewarding trip for me, long to be savored.